Noriko Nakagawa
Noriko Nakagawa (中川 典子 Nakagawa Noriko) is the deuteragonist of Battle Royale, in both novel, manga and film versions. She is the #15 Girl of the Shiroiwa Institute 9th Grade Class B. Due to the fact that many boys considered her attractive, she was bullied and tortured by jealous girls. Shuya also loved Noriko before the events of the film. However, she managed to survive Battle Royale because of her looks, since she was protected and watched the whole time, mainly by the protagonist Shuya Nanahara and their ally Shogo Kawada. Almost every boy wanted to date Noriko just like how almost every girl wanted Shuya. She is played by Japanese actress and singer Aki Maeda. Character Background She is a quiet, reserved girl who is considered cute by Shuya. In the novel and manga, she is shot in the lower leg for attempting to help Yoshitoki Kuninobu; in the film, she is shot in the arm, although this wound is an accident. In both versions she falls ill and is treated for her fever by Shogo and Shuya at a pharmacy. Although she does not realize it, she manages to keep Shuya sane, and she is the only other person besides Shuya to survive the game. While innocent at heart, she is profoundly philosophical and inspires hope in Shuya and Shogo, and everything she says is true in the broader context of the novel. It is she who kills Kazuo Kiriyama, with the one and only bullet she fires during the course of the game (there is some confusion over this scene in the novel, as Shogo then shoots Kiriyama again and takes credit for the murder; the general consensus is that he is trying to spare Noriko the lifelong guilt of having killed someone). In the manga, after the game, her family rejects her (as her brother has been abducted by the police as a means to get her family to help look for her), so she emigrates to the United States with Shuya. In the film, teacher Kitano cares for Noriko, wishing her to win the game and reveals a picture of her as the victor when she, Nanahara and Kawada break into the school. He even goes into the island to look for her, giving her an umbrella in the rain. Shuya has commented that she wrote the best compositions in Literature class; as a result, when she speaks from her heart, her words are described as being "like poetry". It can be interpreted that Noriko and Shuya became girlfriend-boyfriend after winning and escaping Battle Royale. In the sequel Battle Royale II: Requiem, Noriko is not mentioned by the name throughout a large portion of the film. Instead, various characters refer to her as "that girl" or "this girl" until she is mentioned by her full name by Shiori Kitano. Shuya reveals that she escaped with him to a war-torn country to avoid the Japanese authorities. When Shuya decided to return to Japan and fight, Noriko stayed behind. She finally appears at the end of the film to greet Shuya on his return home. Presumably, she is living in relative peace there. Critical Reception Noriko Nakagawa earned highly positive reviews from critics and audiences, as Battle Royale remains one of Japan's most critically acclaimed works of fiction. Category:Manga Heroes Category:Movie Heroes Category:Science Fiction Heroes Category:In Love Category:Thriller Movie Heroes Category:Tragic Category:Action Movie Heroes Category:Live Action Heroes Category:Female Category:Teenagers Category:Pure Good Category:Voice of Reason Category:Honorable Category:Charismatic Category:Sophisticated Category:Dreaded Category:Honest Category:Merciful Category:Loyal